The electrical system found in the earlier automobile engines comprise a combination of two circuits for delivering a series of timed electric pulses to fire all of the engine cylinders during each revolution of the engine shaft.
The first circuit includes a battery, a condenser, the primary winding of a step-up transformer, and a contactor switch (points).
The second circuit includes the secondary winding of the step up transformer connected to a distributor switch. The distributor switch comprises a rotating contactor successively connecting the secondaary winding with each spark sparkplug during each revolution of the engine.
The contacter switch of the first circuit is coupled to the engine shaft to open a number of times equal to the number of cylinders during each rotation of the engine shaft Each time the first circuit is interrupted, the collapse of the magnetic field in the step-up transformer generates a strong pulse in the second circuit. Each strong pulse is applied by the rotating contactor of the distributor to one of the spark plugs.
In recent years, the contactor points have been replaced by the “electronic ignition module” (EIM).
The EIM comprises a generator coupled to the engine shaft that develops voltage pulses by any one of Hall effect, photo voltaic effect, and electromagnetic effect.
The timed pulses are amplified and delivered to the primary winding of the ignition coil.
The electrical circuits described above typically have a key operated “ignition switch” in series connection with the battery The ignition switch is intended to prevent unauthorized starting and operating the engine. However the ignition switch is notoriously ineffective to the thief who simply connects a jumper wire across the switch.
The typical automobile includes an electrically powered “starter” motor (battery operated) to bring the gasoline engine up to a speed where the gasoline engine becomes self powered. The starter motor has a starter solenoid. When the ignition switch is turned on (i.e. when the key is turned to start the car), a small electric current forces the starter solenoid to close a pair of heavy contacts, thus relaying a large electric current to the starter motor.
A number of references are presented in the prior art which feature remote control means intended to prevent unauthorized use of an automobile. However these devices are readily defeated by simply opening the hood of the engine and attaching jumper cables (hot wiring) around the device.